Together, Tricksters
by fantasydancer
Summary: No one likes to be alone. Not even Tricksters.


_I like a look of Agony,_

_Because I know it's true—_

_Men do not shame Convulsion,_

_Nor simulate, a Throe—_

_The Eyes glaze once—and that is _

_Death—_

_Impossible to feign_

_The Beads upon the Forehead_

_By homely Anguish strung_

I like a look of Agony

-Emily Dickinson

The torture had lasted for six hours.

The man was starting to get on her nerves. And she on his.

The dark haired man muttered to himself in the strange drawl of his and searched through his collection of instruments to find something suitable.

The woman pulled at her chains, but they were tight and glowed with an unearthly green light. They cut in into her wrists and abdomen drawing more blood, but they gave no leave and kept her pinned flat against the wall.

The woman's dark hair was stuck to her face with sweat and her honey colored eyes were not glowing as bright as usual. Even the hint of mischief that once gleamed there had been dulled. But her eyes still showed defiance.

_If looks could kill_, the woman thought, _this one would be dead sixty times over._

She studied him. He obviously wasn't mortal. A mortal man would have met their despise at her hands and they never would have captured her. Another god, maybe? But no, she would feel a more powerful presence when he touched her. So perhaps a demigod, like her.

She never got further with her thoughts for the man had selected a new implement and had turned again a smirk curling his lip.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" His grin was cruel.

"You may continue for as long as you wish. You will not break me." The woman straightened as she spoke and braced herself for the pain.

The evil grin faded and was replaced with a sneer. "Very well." The man muttered. He grabbed the woman's arm and began cutting out chunk by chunk of her flesh. Within moments though her skin began to heal itself and the man would begin anew.

The woman hissed in agony, but she would not allow herself to scream. She had made a promise to herself that if she screamed, she would tell. And she would never tell.

Two hours later. It happened. The first small, but a scream nonetheless.

The man straightened a look of triumph gleaming in his steely emerald eyes.

"Who and what are you?" He demanded once more.

The woman choked back a sob of failure and pain. When she spoke though, her voice was strong and didn't quiver in the slightest. "I will tell you who and what I am if you will tell me who and what you are."

The man gave her a hard look and then shrugged. "Very well." He put the knife to her throat. "You speak."

"I am a demigod, as you are. Daughter of Isis, of Egypt."

The man's eyes gleamed with confusion for a moment and then he finally nodded. "Ah, the goddess of magic and trickery."

The woman nodded. "Kepi was my name for many centuries. Now I am known as Lauren. I am a trickster, or so the mortals call me."

The man studied Lauren for moment to see if she was telling the truth. When he deemed she was he said, "I also am a demigod. Half giant in the mortal's tongue. I am of the Norse culture. My name," The man paused. "My only name is Loki."

"The doer of good, and the doer of evil." Lauren whispered remembering her mother's tales of strange lands and other strange cultures.

Loki studied her. "Yes."

Lauren straightened. "What do you want me for?"

Loki seemed to come back to himself. He sneered. "I need a trustworthy captain to keep my armies in line."

"And you needed to torture me first?" Lauren questioned.

Loki glared. "Yes. You would not tell me who you were, and," He flexed his fingers and Lauren's eyes darted skittishly to the knife against her will. "I needed to show what I am capable of."

"I work for no one." Lauren said defiantly but a quick jab of a knife into her arm cut her off. A sharp cry of pain made its way out of her throat. Sweat trickled down the side of her face as Loki leaned in closely.

"You will do as I say or you will find yourself back in this same position, understand?"

The woman hissed in pain but nodded. "Yes."

Loki eased back and the corners of his mouth quirked upward in a quick grin. He waved his hand and the chains disappeared. Lauren fell to her knees on the stone floor clutching her side, willing her body to heal itself.

Loki looked down at her. He gave her a moment to pull her shaky form to her feet.

He golden eyes flashed fearfully as she asked, "What would you have me do? My lord."

Loki smirked, but a small bit of sadness showed in his eyes. He had hoped he wouldn't have had to torture her. The past year had not been kind to him. He himself had been tortured into doing things he'd really rather not.

_ I am a monster_, he thought to himself. But glancing at the girl he felt suddenly hopeful. He wouldn't have to do this alone. Fear and respect were better than nothing even if it wasn't love, right?


End file.
